Could Aaron Rodgers be playing for the New York Jets when the 2023 NFL season opens?
With the 39-year-old four-time MVP remaining publicly coy about whether he will retire, return for his 19th season with the Packers or seek a trade elsewhere, the Jets have reportedly spoken with Rodgers and the Packers about a possible trade that could land it in New York. Jets team officials are flying to California to meet with Rodgers in person on Tuesday, by ESPN.
Multiple reports in recent weeks have indicated the Packers are more open to dealing with Rodgers this offseason than in years past when he hinted he might want out of Green Bay. Rodgers signed a three-year, $150.8 million contract extension last year that will pay him nearly $60 million guaranteed in 2023 as long as he doesn’t retire or take a pay cut to facilitate a trade.
Meanwhile, the Jets have made it clear publicly that they want to bring in a veteran quarterback to bolster their young, talented roster after two disappointing seasons for Zach Wilson, the second overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, with Rodgers at his beck and call. . list
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New York hired Nathaniel Hackett, Rodgers’ former offensive coordinator during his last two MVP seasons in Green Bay, as offensive coordinator in January. Derek Carr, who met with the Jets twice after being cut by the Raiders, signed with the Saints on Monday.
However, one of Rodgers’ most prominent current teammates has repeatedly expressed hope that the quarterback will return to Green Bay. Packers running back Aaron Jones told NFL Network on Tuesday that he hopes Rodgers “goes nowhere” after expressing a similar sentiment to FOX Sports in the days leading up to Super Bowl LVII.
The Packers would have “sold out” with Aaron Rodgers, ready to move on
Still, the Packers seem more optimistic about backup quarterback Jordan Love, the team’s first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, than they did a year ago, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, and the receiving of the Packers is “exhausted” with Rodgers. and believes he “did it” after signing his contract extension last year.
Rodgers has also drawn public scrutiny for some of his off-field lifestyle choices, including his refusal to get a COVID-19 vaccine, his experiences with the herbal psychedelic ayahuasca, and his recent “retreat into obscurity” last month.
“Yes [Rodgers is] back, we’re ready to roll with him,” Jones said Tuesday. “If not, then we’ve got Jordan Love, who’s more than capable, and he’s also ready for the ball and ready for his shot.”
Meanwhile, Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner, the 2022 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, is also doing his part to recruit Rodgers.
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